The present invention relates to a novel tweezer device for the manipulation of soft contact lenses.
Soft contact lenses are constructed of flexible and liquid permeable material such as 2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate. Soft contact lenses are more susceptible to contamination than hard contact lenses as a result of the high liquid absorbency. Insertion and removal of soft contact lenses must be performed in an aseptic manner for the prevention of eye infections. In this regard, reference is made to U.S. Pat. No. 4,079,976, issued to Rainin et al, which described a device which successfully permits the insertion and removal of soft contact lenses.
It has been found that an additional device is necessary for the placement of the soft contact lens on the insertion device, such as the Rainin et al device. It has also been found that the removal of soft contact lenses is more easily accomplished with the human hands. Unfortunately, human hands often contaminate soft contact lenses.
A device for the removal and manipulation of soft contact lenses aseptically is necessary.